Twentieth Century Fox & Apple introduce iTunes digital copy

Twentieth Century Fox and Apple today announced Digital Copy for iTunes, which provides customers who purchase a DVD with an additional Digital Copy of the movie.

Just like movies purchased from the iTunes Store, an iTunes Digital Copy can effortlessly be transferred to iTunes and then viewed on a PC or Mac, iPod with video, iPhone or on Apple TV. The first DVD to make its debut with iTunes Digital Copy is the Special Edition DVD premiere of the Family Guy Star Wars parody, Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest, which is being released in stores today. Fox and Apple are planning to deliver many more DVDs with iTunes Digital Copy this year.

One of the most requested features DVD buyers have been asking for is the ability to get the movies they bought into their iTunes library, said Jim Gianopulos, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment. Were thrilled to offer such an incredibly simple way for our customers to get even more out of their DVD purchase, and we look forward to releasing many more DVDs this year with iTunes Digital Copy.

The new iTunes Digital Copy provides a consumer friendly way to transfer a DVD purchase to a users iTunes library. Once a customer buys the DVD, they insert it into their computer, enter a unique code into iTunes and iTunes automatically copies the movie to their iTunes library within minutes. Customers own the iTunes Digital Copy of the movie and it has all of the same viewing options as other iTunes Store video content, including the ability to be viewed on a computer, iPod with video, iPhone and Apple TV.

Each DVD will only transfer its iTunes Digital Copy to one iTunes library.

About time something like this came with iTunes integration -- my Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix Special Edition DVD came with a "Digital Copy" which was a painful experience to initiate and download (via the InterActual Player on, you guessed it, Windows Vista).

Maybe this'll be easier. But, as I always say, I wonder if this feature will be available in Canada... for HPOP, it was... but... hmm...

So Apple has finally gotten the digital copy thing working. It asks for a serial number that is on the DVD insert:

Then, it seems to download the file from online... kind of weird considering that there is one whole disc dedicated to the digital copy:

Here is a side by side comparison of the two files, on the left is the handbrake generated movie, on the right is the digital copy from the DVD:

Truthfully, I cannot see the difference either on my 24" iMac or on my 50" plasma via ATV set at 720p. Nice work on this particular video. We'll see what other titles get released this way and if the quality keeps up.